# Drillster vs Cengage Read

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cengage Read at 20% against Drillster's 0%. Drillster's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Drillster ships an update every 2 weeks, Cengage Read every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drillster | Cengage Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **19.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 45 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drillster BV](https://appshunter.io/developer/429175118) | [Cengage Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/371168145) |

## What reviewers say

### Drillster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drillster/id429175115)

This educational app enhances knowledge retention through adaptive learning, microlearning, and instant feedback. It features a new drill player with improved visuals and gamification, helping users track their progress and reach proficiency.

**Highlights:** Adaptive learning methodology, Microlearning approach, Instant feedback after exercises, Progress tracking and proficiency goals, Improved visual display for media, Gamification elements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cengage Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893)

Access and study your digital textbooks from anywhere. This app allows students to read, take notes, highlight, bookmark, and use text-to-speech for a flexible learning experience on the go.

**Highlights:** Read eTextbooks on the go, Take notes and highlight, Bookmark important sections, Text-to-speech functionality, Search keywords, Navigate via table of contents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to read textbooks
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go learning
- 👍 Useful for listening to audio while commuting
- 👍 Allows highlighting and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🔥 Poor text formatting and layout
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔍 Missing key features like split-screen and assignment tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and sign-outs
- Inconsistent highlighting and note-taking functionality
- Inability to view full pages and content
- Text-to-speech feature not working properly

**Requested features**

- Improve text formatting and layout
- Add split-screen support for note-taking
- Enhance accessibility features like text-to-speech
- Integrate assignment and due date tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drillster free?

Drillster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cengage Read free?

Cengage Read is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Drillster or Cengage Read have ads?

Neither Drillster nor Cengage Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drillster or Cengage Read?

Drillster ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cengage Read every 2 months. Most recently, Drillster was updated on October 17, 2026 and Cengage Read on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*